This pasta sauce takes minutes to cook. What’s great about this recipe for beginner cooks is that once you’ve done it a few times you can add other simple ingredients to your basic tomato sauce to completely transform it.

slow-cooker vegetarian chili

from Sarah

Sarah’s note: I cut the kernels off the corn before I cooked it, and I just tossed them in with the green beans to boil for a few minutes. I didn’t have scallions so I diced a little bit of red onion, and I think cilantro tastes like soap so I skip that — but I imagine you could substitute parsley or another herb, too.

This is also an easily deconstructed meal for kids/picky eaters — I gave the cooked veggies and salmon to the girls before I added the dressing, and Brad would prefer to have his salmon separate and undressed, as well.

John does not care for this. Carrie really likes it.

Olive Garden Soup
Hard copy